title: [Complex febrile seizures: study of the associated pathology and practical use of complementary tests].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although one third of febrile seizures are complex, a consensus has still not been reached on how to manage them, as is the case with simple febrile seizures. The objective of this study is to estimate the usefulness of complementary examinations and the risk of associated serious intracranial pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was conducted from 2003 until 2011 on patients from 6 months to 6 years presenting with a complex febrile seizure admitted to a tertiary care hospital, excluding the cases with previous neurological disease. Epidemiological and clinic variables were collected, as well as complementary tests and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 65 patients (31 females and 34 males), of whom 44 had repeated seizures in the first 24 hours, with 15 having focal seizures. The vast majority (90%) of the recurrences occurred before 15 hours. The mean age was 20.7 months and temperature was 39.1 ± 0.12°C. None of the patients had severe intracranial pathology. The electroencephalogram gave no helpful information for the diagnosis. Neuroimaging was normal in all studied cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of complications in complex febrile seizure in our series did not justify the systematic admission or the systematic study with complementary tests when the neurological examination was normal. The routine electroencephalogram does not appear to be justified.
authors.affiliation: Hospitalización Pediatría, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Haya, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berzosa López
authors.affiliation: Sección Neuropediatría, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Haya, Málaga, España. Electronic address: dr.jmramos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos Fernández
authors.affiliation: Sección Neuropediatría, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Haya, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez Antón
authors.affiliation: Hospitalización Pediatría, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Haya, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Espinosa Fernández
authors.affiliation: Hospitalización Pediatría, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Haya, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urda Cardona
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Complex febrile seizure; Convulsiones; Crisis febril compleja; Epilepsia; Epilepsy; Fever; Fiebre; Management; Manejo; Seizures